CVE-2024-53140: netlink: terminate outstanding dump on socket close

Published Dec 4, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

netlink: terminate outstanding dump on socket close

Netlink supports iterative dumping of data. It provides the families the following ops: - start - (optional) kicks off the dumping process - dump - actual dump helper, keeps getting called until it returns 0 - done - (optional) pairs with .start, can be used for cleanup The whole process is asynchronous and the repeated calls to .dump don't actually happen in a tight loop, but rather are triggered in response to recvmsg() on the socket.

This gives the user full control over the dump, but also means that the user can close the socket without getting to the end of the dump. To make sure .start is always paired with .done we check if there is an ongoing dump before freeing the socket, and if so call .done.

The complication is that sockets can get freed from BH and .done is allowed to sleep. So we use a workqueue to defer the call, when needed.

Unfortunately this does not work correctly. What we defer is not the cleanup but rather releasing a reference on the socket. We have no guarantee that we own the last reference, if someone else holds the socket they may release it in BH and we're back to square one.

The whole dance, however, appears to be unnecessary. Only the user can interact with dumps, so we can clean up when socket is closed. And close always happens in process context. Some async code may still access the socket after close, queue notification skbs to it etc. but no dumps can start, end or otherwise make progress.

Delete the workqueue and flush the dump state directly from the release handler. Note that further cleanup is possible in -next, for instance we now always call .done before releasing the main module reference, so dump doesn't have to take a reference of its own.

Other sources

This CVE was automatically created from a reference found in an email or other text. If you are reading this, then this CVE entry is probably erroneous, since this text should be replaced by the official CVE description automatically.

Launchpad

Affected Software

7 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>=4.4.38<4.5
Linux Linux kernel>=4.8.14<4.9
Linux Linux kernel>=4.9<6.1.119
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.63
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.11.10
debian/linux<=5.10.223-1
5.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.27-1
debian/linux-6.1
6.1.129-1~deb11u1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux-6.1 to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.129-1~deb11u1

Event History

Dec 4, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:20 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:20 PM
DescriptionSeverity
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Feb 24, 2025
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:54 AM
Description
May 15, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·01:11 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2024-53140?

CVE-2024-53140 has a medium severity level due to the potential for denial of service through improper handling of netlink sockets.

2

How do I fix CVE-2024-53140?

To fix CVE-2024-53140, upgrade the Linux kernel to at least version 4.4.39, 4.8.14, 4.9.246, 6.1.120, 6.2.64, or a later version.

3

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2024-53140?

CVE-2024-53140 affects Linux kernel versions from 4.4.38 up to 4.5, 4.8.14 up to 4.9, 4.9 to 6.1.119, 6.2 to 6.6.63, and 6.7 to 6.11.10.

4

What impact does CVE-2024-53140 have on system security?

The impact of CVE-2024-53140 could lead to a denial of service as it allows an attacker to terminate outstanding dump processes on socket closure.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2024-53140 if I cannot upgrade the kernel?

Currently, no specific workaround is recommended for CVE-2024-53140 other than applying the kernel update.

Contact

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